Engineering...Beyond the Classroom

The Engineering...Beyond the Classroom Blog is focused on engineering issues that are important to students and faculty in an educational setting. This is the place for conversation and discussion about technologies to watch, tools of the trade, parts & assembly and problems & solutions. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations.

Do you know how to take the average of a set of numbers? The median? The mode? Can you do it in your head?

Knowing my audience, a group of engineers and engineering enthusiasts, I suspect you answered yes to all of these questions. But that’s not the answer everyone would give—and that’s not just true of those with lower levels of education.

Recently, I’ve been hearing about the growing “numeracy” problem in our society. According to Alan Smith in his TED Talk entitled “Why you should love statistics,” numeracy is “the ability to deal with fractions, percentages, and decimals.”

Smith deals largely with England in his talk; however, he says numeracy is “not just an English problem,” with the United States leading the way with 40% of young people showing low numeracy skills in an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey in 2016.

Now, researchers at the University of Miami are indicating that a poor understanding of ratios impacts everyday life. Evidently, consumers make “poor purchase decisions” when they need to use ratios to assess a product’s value.

One example ScienceDaily gives is that of consumers comparing fuel efficiency of two cars using the ratio miles per gallon prior to purchasing a car:

“They often flub the numbers by incorrectly assuming the mathematic equation to find miles per gallon would be to average the sum of the mileage of both cars and then divide by two, instead of using a more complex equation needed to accurately compare ratios.”

According to researchers, the example above results in only 25-30% of shoppers reaching the correct answer.

Michael Tsiros, a professor of marketing at the University of Miami School of Business Administration, suggests this issue could be resolved by consumers having “ready access to software that calculates ratios.”

Within the context of the numeracy problem, that seems like a cop-out: solving the immediate problem of ratio-calculating errors affecting individual purchases, but not addressing the question of how to make our population better at ratios.

Despite having taken higher level math courses, I can admit to moments of low numeracy—largely because I have access to my favorite “computational knowledge engine” and a calculator. Still, I can’t say I’m comfortable with the situation.

Have you noticed the numeracy problem growing? Or is it, as one reader of Alan Smith’s older reports joked, that this figure is only shocking to the 51 percent—or in the U.S., 60%—of the population with high numeracy?

This Saturday will mark two weeks since the last "principles
and practice of engineering examination" was administered by the NCEES to
thousands of engineering professionals seeking certification. I am aware of this
date partially because coworkers in my office have just taken the exam, and are
awaiting their pass/fail results. But more so, I'm aware because I hope to take
the exam in the fall of this year.

The professional engineering (P.E.) license is given by individual
states to certify individuals as approved to practice engineering in said
state. P.E.'s are needed in every discipline of engineering to sign off on
designs and . But having a P.E. is more than just signing design documents - it
is a recognition of competency, understanding, and responsibility for the
demands and ethics that must accompany this field of work and service.

The process to this certification, however, does not start
with the P.E. exam. It starts with the Fundamentals-In-Engineering (FE) exam. I
took the FE in the spring of 2011, my senior year of college. At that time it
was a paper and pencil test consisting of some 80 to 100 questions (I've long
forgotten those details) over a grueling eight hours. The questions encompassed
both a broad sweep of the different engineering disciplines, and my discipline
of choice which at the time was chemical engineering. Today, the FE has morphed
into a computer-based exam of 110 questions over 6 hours - whether that is an
improvement I'll leave open to debate…

Once passed, I received my Engineer-In-Training certificate,
allowing me to gain experience towards my license under engineers and other
technical professionals in the disciplines and practice of engineering. This
month will mark just short of 5 years of engineering experience, a majority of
that work under the title of Environmental Engineer.

The next step in the process is an application, from which I
must prepare a summary of my experience and contributions as an
engineer-in-training, and provide references who will sign-off and certify my
experience as adequate. Each state's application requirements differ, though
most if not all require four years of approved experience for those with a bachelor's
degree, and two years of approved experience for those with a master's degree.

My application, though not due until July, is nearly
complete. It includes a fairly exhaustive list of my projects, and the
engineering theory and design principles that accompanied my work. Once I
submit my application, I will shortly be either approved (hopefully) or denied passage
to sit for the principles and practice of engineering exam. And so will begin
my review for the exam. More on that in an upcoming post…

I would welcome any insight and discussion from those who
have obtained their PE license, and for those who, like me, are in the pursuit.
I'm sure there are many joys and perils to talk about along the road.

As an air force captain, a husband, and the father of a
toddler, Neil Barnas realized that the best way he could pursue his goal of a
master's degree in systems engineering would be to find a top-notch program
online. "Systems engineering is a hot topic in the Air Force," Neil
said, "and it's a discipline that has always made a lot of sense to
me."

After looking at several programs, Neil chose the Penn State
World Campus Master
of Engineering in Systems Engineering program because he was impressed by
Penn State's reputation for excellence: "I wanted a quality education that
would make a difference in my career."

The duration of the program was an added benefit. "Many
of my friends and co-workers have spent 3, 4, or 5 years completing their
master's degrees," Neil said. "The Penn State World Campus 2-year
schedule is more rigorous, but it has helped me to retain the material,
allowing me to leverage it more effectively throughout the program."

Neil also had the distinction of being one of the first 27
working professionals from around the United States to complete the Penn State
World Campus Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering program, which
focuses on a holistic approach to managing complex engineering projects. Having
recently taken on an assignment as an acquisition professional, Neil said that
his newly acquired knowledge will benefit the air force.

Earning his master's degree was well worth the investment of
time and effort, according to Neil: "The Penn State Systems Engineering
Master's Program was the perfect avenue to fulfill my own interests and to help
the USAF improve its acquisition processes."

Neil's advice for other service members is to continue their
education and training, either by choosing an online degree program, as he did,
or by selecting an on-campus program. "It's important to keep
learning," he said. "I wanted a quality education that would make a
difference in my career. And Penn State really sets itself apart in that
regard."

For some working professionals, the decision to reengage
with higher education can feel daunting. While they may want to advance their
careers by completing an unfinished degree, or pursuing a new degree
altogether, they might wonder if they're prepared for the endeavor.

Common questions that you, as a prospective student, may
ask:

"How will I find time in my busy schedule to engage in
online learning?"

One of the primary benefits of pursuing an education
online is the flexibility you'll enjoy. Many degrees, including the
Penn State World Campus online graduate engineering programs are
structured to accommodate even the most demanding schedules of working
professionals. Learning at your own pace, on your own time, from almost
anywhere, makes it easier than ever for employed adult students to acquire
additional education.

"Will I have the opportunity to interact directly with
my instructor and classmates?"

The best institutions of higher learning tailor their programs to allow
students to communicate with their classmates and their instructor. Online
communication tools like email and instant messaging give students the
opportunity to participate in one-on-one dialogues, while blogs, message
boards, and social media lend themselves to multiperson "classroom"
conversations. Some professors even encourage their students to communicate
with them during virtual office hours.

"Is pursuing a degree something that I can
afford?"

Penn State World Campus will work to help address payment
options and find financial aid, and in some cases, your employer may work to
help you find the most cost-effective way to reengage your education.
Additionally, a higher level of education can help open doors for you to
advance to higher-paying opportunities in your current profession, or in a new
profession altogether.

"Do I have access to the technology I'll need to fully
participate in online learning?"

You might be surprised to discover just how low the technology threshold for
a robust online education is. If you can send/receive email, browse the web,
use social media, and stream videos, you most likely have the technology you
need to pursue your education online.

What can Penn State World Campus do for you?

When you pursue an engineering degree through Penn
State World Campus, you can rest assured that you'll be partnering with a
well-respected institution that offers a high-quality education to help you
advance your career and enrich your understanding of your field of choice.

Applying to a graduate school program - traditional or
online - can be stressful. Purdue
Engineering Professional Education offers several different graduate
programs, certificates, and professional development options. Therefore, we get
A LOT of questions about what to include in an application. We sat down with
our Graduate Admission and Enrollment Coordinator, Carrie Clark, to get some
tips on what the admission committee looks for in an application and how to
keep the process from being too demanding.

What advice do you
have for students writing their Statement of Purpose?

The main goal of the statement is to detail why you believe
you would be a great fit for the program. You are trying to sell yourself to
the admission committee. Think of it as an interview. Describe your
past/current jobs, skills and any awards you have received.

Regarding gathering
letters of recommendations, what advice do you have for students who have been
out of school for a bit?

Ask a recommender who can talk about different aspects of
your abilities. They must be able to attest to your potential as a graduate
student, as well as work performance. Academic references are not a
requirement, simply a suggestion.

If an applicant is
rushing to meet an application deadline, what advice do you have for them?

Don't rush. If the deadline is vastly approaching, think
about starting out as non-degree
seeking. If you want to apply to the degree program, contact the department
you are applying too and see what they suggest.

Any other advice
about the application process?

Do your program research, allow enough time, and be sure to
follow the directions.

Editor's Note: This is a sponsored blog post by Purdue Engineering. Purdue
delivers six different graduate engineering degrees entirely online. These online graduate degrees are consistently ranked in the top 10 by
U.S. News and World Report. Purdue
offers more than 74 online courses each year and is one of the largest
providers of distance graduate engineering degrees.